Crackdown on registered sex offenders produces 48 Paterson arrests

PATERSON – Authorities announced the arrests of 48 registered sex offenders in Paterson during the past two months as part of an effort to enforce registration laws covering people convicted of sex charges.

Three of those people were arrested on charges stemming from alleged violations of sex offender registration laws, authorities said.

Others were picked up on a variety of charges, including aggravated sexual assault, parole violation, municipal court warrants and failure to pay child support.

The arrests stemmed from a collaborative effort among the United States Marshals Service, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Paterson Police Department, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.

“Initiatives like this allow us to demand that those who have committed sex offenses comply with their court ordered requirements of keeping law enforcement advised of their whereabouts,” said Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes in a news release. “Failure to comply with that simple requirement is intolerable and not in the best interest of the community.”

“These alliances allow us to conduct a sex offender operation that increases the safety and security of our children,” Juan Mattos Jr., U.S.

Marshal for the District of New Jersey. “Most importantly, these initiatives remove any safe haven for sexual predators who seek to victimize citizens with their dangerous and often violent crimes.”

Authorities did not say why they focused on sex offenders in Paterson.

The operation started with a comprehensive review of all registered sex offenders in the area for any other violations on record, officials said. Authorities then obtained arrest warrants for those that had violations, officials said.

Authorities said they plan to continue tracking registered sex offenders who appear to have violated registration requirements in New Jersey and may be in other states across the country.

“These fugitive sex offenders will be the subject of investigations coordinated by the US Marshals Service and be subject to prosecution for violation of federal law for failing to register after having crossed state lines,” said the press release.